The present invention relates to a motor-vehicle armrest. More particularly this invention concerns such an armrest that can be pivoted between and set in different positions.
A standard adjustable armrest as described in German utility model 299 01 887 has an elongated armrest extending radially from a pivot fixed on the motor-vehicle door or frame. This armrest is formed internally with an arcuate array of radially inwardly directed teeth engage able with the outer end of a pawl carried on the pivot and urged outward by a spring. The teeth and pawl end are angled such that the armrest can be pivoted with ratcheting of the pawl end along the row of teeth in a direction corresponding to raising of the armrest from a lowermost position.
The pawl carries a pin projecting parallel to the axis and sliding, as the armrest is raised, under two angularly offset guide springs or strips. When the armrest reaches the end of its upward travel, this pin passes the end of the second such strip, which drops down behind it so that when the armrest is pivoted back, the pin up rides on the back surfaces of the guide strips which keep the pawl end out of engagement with the teeth, permit- ting the armrest to be returned to its lowermost position. Once back in this lowermost position, the pin drops off the end of the first strip and the pawl end enters back into engagement with the internal teeth of the armrest.
The advantage of this system is that it is possible to dispense with a latching/unlatching button. Instead the armrest is freely movable upward and, if the desired position is passed, the user need merely pivot it all the way to its uppermost position, then back to its intermediate or lowermost position, whereupon upward ratcheting movement is again possible to find the desired position. The use of two guide strips makes it possible to swing the armrest only back halfway and then resume upward movement without having to go to the lowermost position.
The guide strips of this system bear on the entrainment pin of the pawl and influence its movement. Thus on upward adjustment there are two locations where movement is impeded as the pin passes the ends of these strips, and on downward movement there is also a certain jerkiness as they pin rides up the one strip, falls off its end, then rides up the other and falls off its end. All of this is therefore accompanied by different resistances to rotation of the armrest in different positions and makes the armrest click audibly as it is moved back down.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved motor-vehicle armrest.
Another object is the provision of such an improved motor-vehicle armrest which overcomes the above-given disadvantages, that is which is of simple construction but which can be moved smoothly between its end positions.
A motor-vehicle armrest has according to the invention a pivot part defining a fixed axis, a body part pivotal about the axis on the pivot part, and stops on the parts for pivoting of the body part on the pivot part about the axis only between an upper end position and a lower end position. An arcuate array of angularly spaced teeth on one of the parts is engage able with an end of a latch member angularly fixed to and displaceable on the other of the parts. An entrainment pin projects axially from and is fixed to the latch member. A flexible guide strip has an inner end fixed on the one toothed part and an outer end bearing elastically radially on the one toothed part at an intermediate position passed by the pin before the body part reaches the upper end position and outwardly elastically deflectable by the pin as the intermediate position is passed. This guide is formed between its ends with a notch through which the pin can pass radially when the body part is generally in the lower position. It has between its ends a front surface engage able by the pin for outward deflection of the outer end as the intermediate position is passed and also has between its ends a back surface engage able by the pin to deflect the member out of radial engagement with the teeth on movement of the body part from the upper position back past the intermediate position toward the lower position. A spring braced between the other latch-carrying part and the latch member urges the member end into ratcheting engagement between the teeth on movement of the pivot part from the lower position toward the intermediate position and into engagement with the outer guide-strip surface on movement of the body part from the intermediate position back to the lower position.
Thus with this system a single guide strip is used and it only engages the latch-member pin on upward travel of the armrest immediately before it reaches its uppermost end position. At this point the outer arm is cammed momentarily out so that, when the arm is pivoted back down, the pin rides up on the back face of the guide strip so that the latch-member end is held out of engagement with the teeth. The inner end can be well offset and completely past the path of the pin so that the pin simply travels along a smoothly curved section of the guide strip.
The latch member moves in a straight line, typically radially, on the other latch-carrying part. More particularly the latch member is a bar of nonround section. The other latch-carrying part is formed with a radially extending guide slidably receiving the bar. This guide is shaped complementarily to the bar.
A compression spring is braced between the latch member and the other latch-carrying part. In addition the guide strip is a cast strip, preferably of plastic. It can actually be pivoted at an integral or separate hinge or pivot at its inner end on the one toothed part.
In accordance with the invention a spring urges the outer end of the guide strip radially against the one toothed part. This spring can be a separate part or the inherent spring-iness of the guide strip itself, for instance when it is made of spring steel. A cushion is provided on the one toothed part against which the spring outer end bears radially so that when it moves in and out no clicking is produced. The spring-steel guide strip is widened at its inner end for attachment to the one toothed part. In fact the one toothed part is formed adjacent the lower stop with an anchor to which the inner spring end is attached.